Ziegler's first screen role was in her early twenties, during 1987–89; she appeared in the
BBC One soap opera
EastEnders, playing
Donna Ludlow, the illegitimate daughter of series regular
Kathy Beale. Donna's tragic storylines included prostitution, an attempted gang rape, heroin addiction and finally her death by a heroin overdose. The final scenes of Ziegler's character, who had choked to death on her own vomit, have been hailed as one of the most powerful anti-drug images ever screened on the programme. She left
EastEnders in April 1989. In the early 1990s, Ziegler starred in the
ITV comedy
Mr. Bean, where she played multiple characters, especially a three-episode stint as Irma Gobb, the title character's long-suffering girlfriend. She reprised her role as Gobb, voicing her in
Mr. Bean: The Animated Series, from 2002 to 2004, and in the revived series from 2015 to 2019. Other television credits include:
Lark Rise to Candleford (2008–2010) in which she played the part of Pearl Pratt, in the BBC adaptation of Flora Thompson's novel;
Harbour Lights (1999);
Where the Heart Is (2000);
Holby City (2003);
An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (1998);
The Bill (2003), and
Home, alongside Anthony Sher in an adaptation of
J.G. Ballard's novel. Ziegler played Ruth, wife of car salesman Toni, in the BBC sitcom
Swiss Toni (2003–04). She also appeared in the
BAFTA Television Award winning drama,
Sex Traffic (2004). In 2005, she played Christine Miller in the fourth series of
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, and in 2007, she guest starred in the BBC One daytime medical drama
Doctors as
Jess Butler. She also appeared in
Outnumbered,
Lewis (in the episode 'The Soul of Genius', 2012),
Death in Paradise (2013), and
Vera (in the episode "
Young Gods", 2013). In 2015, she appeared in an episode of ''
Foyle's War, and in series 4 episode of Call the Midwife. In 2020 she appeared in a second season episode of The Alienist, and appeared in two episodes of The Girlfriend Experience'' in 2021. Ziegler's film roles include
Decadence (1994),
Jilting Joe (1998),
City Slacker (2012), and
The Rhythm Section (2019) where she played
Blake Lively's mother. ==Stage and radio career==